


May I Have This Dance?

by lunasmelody



Category: RWBY
Genre: Also Background Bumbleby, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ballroom Dancing, Because yes, Bro They're Jus. They're Jus 2 Mlms, Canon No Longer Exists Bc I Said So, Confession of Sorts, First Kiss, Flirting, Flustered Qrow Branwen, Frosen Steel / Dolts And Bolts If You Squint, God These Bitches Gay, Like Lots Of Flirting, M/M, Mutual Pining, Not Beta Read I Will Die On This Misspelt Hill, Only Rated Teen For Some Swearing Btw, Past Addiction, Past Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Qrow Is A Bicon Honestly, Slow Dancing, Yang And Ruby Just Want Qrow To Be Happy, idk how to tag someone help me, we have no choice but to stan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:54:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26377615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunasmelody/pseuds/lunasmelody
Summary: Every year, the Atlas council hosts a ball for the students of Atlas Academy to spend the night with friends and teachers, this year was no exception. And since team RWBY and co were still in the age range of students, they were allowed to join in the festivities, along with Qrow who came by invitation.Everyone was excited to dance the night away and have a break from doing life threatening mission after life threatening mission...All except our resident bird boy.
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi
Comments: 7
Kudos: 19





	1. Preparation

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first fic,,,poggers???  
> I just wanted to write fairgame being gay because crwby robbed us okay?

Qrow Branwen had _always_ hated dancing.

Qrow didn't exactly know why he had such a hatred for moving in rhythm to music, but he's had this irritation when it comes to dancing for as long as he could remember. The only reason he knew how to dance in the first place was because Summer had forced him and Raven to know the basics before the dance at Beacon in their first year. Even after all the practicing, Qrow barely ever danced at the parties Ozpin would hold. As painful as those memories were to think about, Qrow still held them close to his heart. Summer, Tai and Raven had shaped him to be the man he was now, for better or for worse, that was for others to decide.

Well, now wasn't the time for reminiscing on old memories, he had a ball to prepare for, whether he wanted to or not.

* * *

He must have looked at his reflection for hours. Making sure nothing about his outfit was out of place, or nothing would draw too much attention to himself. He didn't exactly care what he wore to the ball in the first place. Qrow would've been fine with going in his mission gear if he could, though, his nieces had been very adamant on getting the older man to at least put in _some_ effort. He had to admit, it definitely felt off without the familiar weight of his shredded cape on his back. At first, Qrow thought he would just put together something simple and just watch as the passerby danced across the hall. But, there was something deep inside his head that was pushing for Qrow to make more of an effort tonight. And the more that the shapeshifter thought about it, the more he realised why he had started to put more effort into how he presented himself to others. 

His face flushed with heat at that thought. A small chuckle echoed throughout Qrow's room before it was cut off by a loud knock that came from the door to where Qrow had been staying while he was at Atlas.

♢

"Uncle Qrowww!!!" Before the man could even process what had happened, a large burst of rose petals bumped into him before the petals cleared, leaving his niece, Ruby Rose, staring up at him with wide silver eyes. Qrow reached up to pat Ruby on her head, making sure not to mess up the stylised touches the young girl had added well getting ready for the ball. 

"Alright Pipsqueak, you're crushing me here." Qrow managed to say, feeling Ruby's grip around him loosen before she backed away sheepishly, her facial expression immediately shifting from a smile with a twinge of guilt to an excited one. Ruby was practically bouncing off the ground, before her older step sister, Yang, stepped into the room, placing a hand on Ruby's now unmoving shoulder; her lavender eyes looking down at her younger sister with pride. 

It was only then that he could actually see how much the two of them had grown.

Since they had first left for the Academy.

Since Beacon fell.

Since Haven.

Since Brunswick.

Everything.

They had practically gone through everything a _normal_ huntsmen their age probably shouldn't be going through. It was comforting, knowing that they were willing to accept to fight for the world in the state he and Ozpin had left it. The way the _grimm_ had made it. When Qrow was their age and had found out about Salem and what she was planning, he certainly didn't take it as well as they did, and neither did Ra-

"Uhh... Qrow? You okay? You've kinda been staring at that wall for awhile now." Qrow shook his head suddenly as he snapped back into reality, looking at where the voice came from, he saw Yang with her hand on her hip, looking at Qrow with worry hidden in her smile. 

"Remnant to Qrow???" 

"Uh- I was just thinking about something. Are you kids excited for tonight?" Yang's smile had grown as she was practically radiating with energy. 

"You bet I am!!! Just waiting on team JNR and Oscar to finish up...whatever they're doing." Yang grumbled impatiently. She had _definitely_ gotten that from Tai. 

♢

As more time passed, Blake and Weiss had joined the small group that had gathered outside Qrow's room. All of the young huntresses were wearing dresses of different lengths, except for Yang, who was wearing a suit with a yellow patterned tie. They had all broken out into a conversation of their own as Qrow checked the time on his scroll. They still had a couple of hours until they had to leave, but he couldn't stop worrying about... _something._ The huntsmen didn't know what it was exactly, but something was on his mind that was making him anxious. He sighed, before opening his eyes again to look at the group in front of him.

"Well, we still have a _lot_ of time before we have to go, why did you come to see me?" The older huntsman asked, curiosity blatantly in his tone. Yang looked up at Qrow with a smirk on her face, Ruby and Yang shared a look which proved that they both were there for a reason. Weiss and Blake had seemed just as confused as he was, both girls staring at their dance partners for the night. Or, well, he _presumed_ that Yang and Blake would dance together, the same goes for Weiss and Ruby. They hadn't exactly been subtle with the obvious mutual interest in one another. Which surprised him even more when they were also curious as to Ruby and Yang's ulterior motives.

"Well, I wanted to ask if _you_ had asked or been asked to go to the ball with someone, Qrow." Yang answered, leaning against the doorway with her arms crossed watching as Qrow's cheeks twinged with a bit of red. Ruby stifled a giggle and the girls' partners had smiles spread across their face, moving forward to stand next to Ruby and Yang instead of hiding in their shadows.

"I was going to ask that too, I don't want to see you sulking in a corner for the entire night, uncle Qrow." Weiss growled, stepping forward with her arms crossed, glancing up at the taller huntsmen with a mischievous grin on her face. Qrow had noticed that the kids had started calling him uncle, possibly following after Yang and Ruby's footsteps. It was a bit surprising at first, as it should've been, but now it's just a name that all of the kids have been calling him by. And to be honest, he likes it, deep down. Qrow cares more about the young huntsmen that have been following him around, more than he'd like to admit. 

"Well, to answer your question firecracker, I'm not going with anyone. I haven't been asked, and don't really plan on asking anyone either." Qrow replied, looking down at the ex heiress replicating the look she had on her own face, then up at Yang. "But, I know you well enough to know that isn't all you wanted to ask me. What else do you want?" The look on Yang’s face gave it away before Qrow could even argue.

"What about Clover?" 

_Oh._

Yang had unfolded her arms to instead place them in her pockets with a smug look on her face. "I mean, come on, you two have been inseparable the past couple of days. And don't think I haven't noticed the way you act around him during missions." If Qrow's face hadn't already been red, then the heat he felt rising to his cheeks was proof that it was now. He had pretty much zoned out on the conversation past that point, only for loud laughing from his left side to drag him back into focus. "You're _hopeless_ honestly, I remember you describing yourself as the flirt, not the one being _pined_ for." The other girls that surrounded Yang had giggled a bit at her response well wait for Qrow to say something. Oh. Right. He had to respond.

"Uh...well...let's just say that I **_hypothetically_ ** liked Cloves in that way." Qrow started, air quoting well saying 'hypothetically'. "Then I would not get any of _you_ involved in it. I don't see why any of you would care about my love life anyways when you all have your own to deal with." He earned some flushed looks from that. Good, as he intended. "And if I **_hypothetically_ ** wanted to ask Clover to the ball, I'd do it on my own without any of _your_ input, Yang. I'm not going to go up to Clover and sling a bunch of puns before asking someone out, like you so _embarrassingly_ did with Blake." He heard a loud possibly fake gasp come from where Yang was standing before looking up and seeing Yang with her arms once again folded. 

"How dare you mock my way of flirting?" Yang said in a jokingly, offended tone. "The audacity of someone to mock the way I ask someone out when the man in question can't even gather up the courage to flirt _back_ with someone." Oh, Ok. Qrow would admit, he didn't know how to respond to that one. The older huntsmen just sighed, before glancing up at the group of girls that were in front of him.

 _"Okay._ I need to continue to get ready. Why don't you four go pester team JNR instead?" Qrow said facetiously, well shooing the young huntresses out of his room. As he shut the door, Qrow turned his back to the entrance and leaned back on the door, sighing. In the distance, he heard Yang yell, "You're only kicking us out because you know I'm right, uncle Qrow!!" In a teasing manner. He would get his revenge...someday, when he could be bothered.

* * *

The shapeshifter didn't want to admit it, but Yang had a point. 

He didn't know how to ask Clover to the ball. And he wanted to. He _really_ wanted to. 

Gods...he really was hopeless, wasn't he? 

Qrow laughed internally at himself, well reaching into his pocket to get out his scroll. Gods, he still had a lot of time before he had to meet up with Ironwood and the Ace ops formally, along with the kids. He still had plenty of time to get off his ass and actually go talk to Clover. He could feel his face heating up as he got up from his bed and went to open his messages with the Ace Op that was stuck in his head.

 **branwen, q > **hey cloves, are you free at the moment?

He stared at the send button for what felt like forever. 

_Fuck it._ he thought, before clicking the send button and chucking his scroll across the room, landing on the couch opposite to his bed. To be honest, Qrow knew the way he was acting was exactly like a school boy with a crush. But, he didn't really care. He hadn't loved anyone in this way for so long, the fear of hurting them because of his semblance would always loom in the back of his mind, causing him to be afraid to make any meaningful relationships with anyone. But, Clover was different. His semblance made it so Qrow had no reason to avoid him. And he's been...happier since he met Clover. Whether he liked it or not. Being able to get close to someone in this way was...refreshing, somehow. 

His train of thought was immediately cut off when Qrow heard a small noise from across the room, coming from his scroll. 

Oh. Clover had responded.

_Wait._

Qrow rushed over to grab his scroll and fumbled with it in his hands, before finally catching it. He didn't look at the screen for a solid minute, staring at the back of his scroll in silence, before turning it around and reading what Clover had sent over and over again, trying to process it.

 **ebi, c > **yeah! i'm free, just have to finish up some last minute preparations. Do you want me to come to you? 

After rereading the message possibly dozens and dozens of times, Qrow sighed, before looking around his room. It wasn't exactly a mess, but it was unorganised, and he couldn't be bothered cleaning it until...well, when he could be bothered. He took some time before replying that he'd come to Clover instead, before turning off his scroll and standing in the middle of his room, trying to think about how he'd ask Clover in the first place. Gods, what was he thinking? Maybe he should just say something came up-

No, he's done that with so many things and missed out on countless opportunities. Before Qrow was able to convince himself to stay, he walked out of his room and made his way over to where the ace ops quarters were located.

* * *

He was in way over his head at this point. 

There were probably a hundred ways that this could all go south, one of the few that troubled Qrow the most was the possibility that Clover didn't even like him in _that_ way, and that Qrow had mistaken what he had thought was 'flirting' with friendly banter. Qrow noticed that he was fidgeting with his vest collar, so he shoved his hands into his pockets.

He _was_ going to do this.

"Oh, hey! Qrow!"

_Fuck. Is it too late to just shapeshift and fly away? Wait, Cloves doesn't know about that yet, does he? Uh--_

"Uhhh hey, boyscout." Qrow turned around to see his partner on the field running to catch up with him before stopping about a metre away from him. "Why were you in such a hurry?" 

"Oh, well, I was up at the hall helping James set up some things, but I didn't want to keep you waiting in case you thought I was at my room. Which...seeing that you were heading there, I presume, I was right." Clover put his hands on his hips and stared right at the older huntsmen. Qrow didn't respond, because he was taking in Clover's outfit...which was...woah.

The man's hair was styled to be more curly, most of the curls falling out of style onto the man's face which was. adorable. His actual outfit was what got Qrow's attention in the first place. He was wearing a forest green sleeveless vest, because _of course_ he would choose to not wear sleeves, even in formal wear. As well as a tie that was a different shade of green, with a clover pattern on it. 

Gods, he really _was_ in over his head, wasn't he?

"Qrow? Are you okay?" _Shit, he was spacing out again._

"Huh?" 

"You weren't responding for awhile so I thought I broke you!" Clover laughed, before taking a step closer to the crimson eyed man. "Well, you did ask if I was free, was there a reason why you wanted to see me in person?" 

Oh, right, he had nearly forgotten about that. Even though that has been all he's thought about for the past hour. He could feel the heat rising up his collar already. Jeez, Yang wasn't wrong, he had been quite the flirt in the past, but the last time he had actually been in a serious relationship...only the gods knew how long ago that was. He had really forgotten how to actually flirt without being a mess at the same time.

"Oh! Right, uh..." Qrow cleared his throat awkwardly, very aware that he was being stared at. That only made it harder. "I wanted...to ask you something."

Come on, it's not so hard to just say 'go to the ball with me.' Qrow. You're a grown ass man, this shouldn't be as difficult as you're making it out to be.

Clover stepped a bit closer to Qrow, his eyebrows raised, staring at the older man with intense curiosity. Gods, he was kinda...really close, huh?

Okay, but if he was standing that close to Qrow he had a valid reason to be nervous right?

"And why is this question so important that you couldn't ask me through text?" Clover said smugly, possibly very aware of how flustered Qrow was, only adding onto it with how _close_ he was. Okay, he had to be doing this on purpose at this point. Y'know what? Fine. If he wanted to make Qrow nervous, then Qrow might as well just say what the main cause of it was.

"I wanted. To ask you. If you wanted to go the ball with me." 

Silence.

"B-but you don't have to if you don't want to! I just-- wanted to offer." Qrow reached up to rub the back of his neck, before realising that something had stopped him from doing what he intended to do. He looked down and saw Clover had grabbed his hand. He stared at his hand for a second before looking up and seeing Clover staring back at him with a wide and oddly worried smile.

"I...I would love to go with you, Qrow, but..." Qrow internally kicked himself. He should've known better than to get his hopes up and ignore the possibility of a 'but'. He might as well just make up an excuse to get out of this situation before it becomes even more awkward than it already was.

"I don’t...I don’t know how to dance."

Oh.

Ok, he hadn't expected that.

"You're kidding me." Qrow had already burst out laughing before he could be able to control himself, losing grip on Clovers hand and raising his hand to his mouth, "You're telling me Atlas's golden boy can do _everything_ but dance???" Clover had begun laughing himself, Qrow couldn't help but feel a little bad for him.

"I know. it's... dumb. But, even back in my academy days, I never went out of my way to learn how to dance. When they would host these annual balls I'd usually make up some excuse to not dance. Whether it was having to study for a class and just not going at all, or occupying myself with picking out music for the night." The more Qrow thought about it, the more he realised that he and Clover were a lot alike in that case. He'd do literally anything to avoid dancing in front of a huge crowd, he didn't care about his reputation or how others viewed him, but he didn't really want to fail at something as basic as dancing when combat was, in a way, very similar. But...maybe if he was dancing with someone he actually _wanted_ to dance with, he'd be able to let the large crowd that'd surround them slide. Just this once.

"Well...what do you plan on doing this year then?" Qrow asked, Clover looked deep in thought for a second, before sighing and crossing his arms. Qrow stared for a bit, before looking up at his face.

"I have yet to figure that out!" Clover replied, chuckling a bit under his breath, before a small silence fell between them, before an idea made its way into Qrows head. 

"I could show you how to dance." 

Wait, did he say that outloud?

Clover's expression answered that question. _Oh gods._

"Or not, I just-"

"That'd be fun! I'd love to let you teach me." Clover winked at the older huntsman. Qrow face heated up more than it already had been earlier, his eyes also widening a bit. Clover laughed at Qrow's reaction, before taking his hand tightly and dragging him down the decorated hallway, leaving no room for Qrow to protest, not even saying anything himself.

* * *

It had taken Qrow a bit to realise that Clover had taken him to his own quarters. 

Qrow had never been in any of the ace ops personal rooms, only having been in the lounge area that connects the rooms themselves. And to be honest, Clover’s room had more personal touches then he thought it would compared to the bland common room that came before it. There were a lot of plants and ferns scattered around, and the usual white curtains had been replaced with a green the same colour as the vest the man in question was wearing. 

Clover’s room was very...well, Clover. That was the only way Qrow could describe it.

"So. When it comes to ballroom dancing, the last time I tried to actually...dance properly, I fell on my face in front of all the Ace Ops. How do I avoid that this time, Mr. Branwen?" Qrow chuckled a bit at the use of his last name, before trying to think of how to continue this without making it as awkward as it was before.

"Well, I guess the first thing you have to work on is your balance. Here." Qrow held Clover’s hands and placed them on his shoulders, well he rested his own around the small of Clover's back. Qrow was _very_ aware of how close Clover was to him, but was trying as hard as he could to remain focused. Clover himself didn't seem too bothered...of course he wouldn't be. He was really enjoying this, wasn't he? The more Qrow thought about it, the more Qrow realised why Clover was so quick to accept Qrows offer of helping him get a hang of dancing in the first place. 

_Ah._

♢

As Qrow guided Clover through some simple movements, his mind was racing, trying to keep his focus on showing Clover the steps and not how _close_ their faces were to one another. _Gods._ Hopefully Clover couldn't feel how tense Qrow possibly was. Qrow himself wasn't the best dancer out there, that of course was obvious. But, he still felt good being able to help Clover learn the basics about something, after all the things Clover had helped Qrow with, it felt. Nice. To give back. Even if this way of ' _giving back_ ' was driving Qrow insane. Qrow at first thought it was a bad choice to not play any music in the background, but the silence that fell between the two was relaxing. It felt nice to be able to be so close to someone again without having to worry about his own semblance interfering. Even if all the emotions that came with liking someone this way became too much to handle sometimes.

Eventually, the peaceful silence between the two was broken.

"So...is it usually this quiet when you dance with someone? Besides the obvious music." Qrow chuckled, before turning his head to face Clover directly, crimson eyes staring straight into teal ones. The more Qrow looked, the more Qrow realised how beautiful the brunette's eyes were, and how easy it was for Qrow to lose himself in them. Qrow smiled sheepishly.

"I mean, usually, it isn't. I just didn't know what else to say after I told you what you had to do." 

"Wow."

"What?"

"Am I really _that_ boring, birdie?" Qrow smiled at the use of that nickname, the last time it had been used was by Summer, years ago. It felt weird but...nice, to hear it again, after so long.

"No! Of course not. I'm just not used to being... _this_ close to someone. It's hard to come up with conversation topics when i'm also trying not to step on you, lucky charm." Clovers cheeks had a twinge of red appear as he smiled at the slightly smaller huntsman, he didn't have to say anything, but Qrow knew what he was thinking. He looked right at Clovers eyes, before looking down at something else, his breathing wavered for a moment.

 _Ok. He_ **_really_ ** _was in over his head._

And then, as if on cue-

"Hey, Clover! Are you ready to-" Qrow didn't process that Clover's door had slammed open until Clover had quickly jumped out of his hold and cleared his throat. Confused, Qrow looked over his shoulder to see Harriet, stifling a laugh, as she peaked out from behind the doorway.

"Did...did I interrupt something?" Harriet asked in a mocking tone, holding her hand up to her mouth. Qrow's face was a deep shade of red matching the colour of his absent cape, and Clover just sighed, before looking up at the ace operative standing at the entrance.

"Didn't I ask you to knock before barging into mine or any of the other ops rooms, Hare?" Clover folded his arms, glaring at the woman that stood at the entrance, though Qrow could tell that the look He was giving her wasn't meant to be taken completely seriously.

"I already knocked though! When you didn't answer I assumed you were busy or weren't here. And...you were busy, apparently." Harriet sniggered a bit, looking directly at Qrow, though, he didn't notice. Because he was already losing focus on the conversation to figure something else out. How had he not heard her knock in the first place? There wasn't any music playing or any noise that would've blocked it out, so it was quite obvious that Hare was lying.

"Okay, but how many times _did_ you knock?"

"Uh...once."

"Case in point."

A small silence fell over the three, before the rest of the ace ops had joined Harriet at the entrance of Clover's room, all out of their uniforms and instead in fancy attire.

"Why is Huntsmen Branwen here? I thought you were out preparing the hall with the general, Clover." Vine asked, clearly oblivious to the situation as a whole, Qrow could see the rest of the huntsmen standing by the taller man internally facepalm. The shapeshifter glanced at Clover and slowly started shifting away from him.

"No reason, Vine! Alright, now let's go and check in with Ironwood at the hall, he's probably wondering why we're not there already! We'll uh-- meet you there captain!" Marrow shouted with his voice wavering, rushing the other Operatives out of Clovers quarters, ignoring their confused arguments, slamming the door behind him, leaving Clover and Qrow to stare at said door in an awkward silence.

"So..." Clover started, still trying to figure out what to say. Qrow looked over at him, his face still holding a twinge of red. "Let's hope everything that you showed me is enough to keep me from embarrassing myself, huh?" Clovers attempt to lighten the mood worked, as Qrow snickered and turned his body to fully face the younger huntsmen.

"Won't be my fault if you trip over after everything i've taught you." Qrow mumbled in a mocking tone, making sure that it was loud enough for Clover to hear, a loud laugh that came from in front of him proved that he succeeded. 

♢

The two had made their way out of the Ace Op's area and into the hallway's of the academy. They stood outside of the entrance for a second in silence, before Clover held his hand out to the crimson eyed huntsmen, a hint of confusion in Qrows stare.

"Will you, Qrow Branwen, attend the Atlas Ball with me?"

"I thought _I_ was the one that asked _you_ first, Ebi." 

"Is that a yes?" 

Qrow chuckled, as he took Clover's hand in his own.

"Thats a _yes_ , boyscout."


	2. Rhythm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After countless hours of preparation and excited students waiting to be able to have the entire night off from mission after mission, everyone was happy that they were finally able to just relax for one night before going back to the regular schedule.  
> But of course, there was one person who was still worried about many things at once, and none of them were about the ball itself...  
> And instead more about a certain Ace Operative.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO HI I FINALLY FINISHED CHAPTER 2 <33  
> im so sorry for the wait !! I've been constantly procrastinating on working on this fic and working on other things, as well as rwby 8 premiering, which, y'know, AAAAAAAAAAAA&*(&^%r^&*(IOHGHJKLSDFGHJ--
> 
> Anyways yeah!! I like this chapter a lot -- I love writing these two so much. wtf?? funky lil mlms

♢

_For someone who hated dancing , Qrow was certainly very excited to spend the night doing exactly that. And, well, only that._

But, Qrow wasn’t excited about the dancing part in particular. I mean, come on, the last time Qrow actually _tried_ to dance was back during his time at Beacon, and even then, Qrow would make plenty of mistakes. So it wouldn’t be a surprise if his time showing Clover how to dance was pure luck that he didn’t step on his partners foot at least once or twice. Though, Qrow had to admit, his semblance had certainly been very subtle recently. No big accidents, no one was suffering small or fatal injuries. It was nice for him to just … not feel like a burden for once in his life. It was comforting. I mean, none of this was because he was learning to _control_ his semblance. That shit would forever be an issue that Qrow would just have to manage. It was because he had a good luck charm practically glued to his hip. _Not that he was complaining though, but of course he wouldn’t admit that._

“Hey, are you okay?”

Speak of the devil.

“I’m fine lucky charm, was just lost in thought, I guess.” Qrow replied, keeping his answer short, his tone oddly sharp. Qrow turned to look at the ground in front of him and shoved his hands into his pockets. Though he detected a look of shock on Clover’s face, before it shifted to a look of curiosity, his smile radiating an energy Qrow couldn’t describe.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

“Uh- what?”

“What are you thinking about, birdie?” Qrow glanced back up at Clover, intending to look away, but he couldn’t tear his stare away from Clovers bright teal eyes and his welcoming smile. Man, he really had it bad huh? It was almost embarrassing, feeling this way about someone. But Qrow always gave himself the same reasoning, he hadn’t loved like this for years, possibly decades, to be honest. It was nice to just let himself fall for someone without having to worry about hurting them. Though, that was a thought that would sneak its way into Qrow’s mind once. Or twice. Or well, multiple times a day.

“Just thinking about how **lucky** I am to have you.” 

_Wait, no, he hadn’t meant to say that outloud, had he? Gods, Qrow, Quick, think of something, you idiot--_

“I uH-- I mean-- How lucky I am to have … yeah ok, I can’t think of anything.” Qrow’s flustered reaction to something he himself had said had earned a loud chuckle from Clover, Qrow facepalmed and groaned to himself, embarrassment very clear on his face as he took away his hand to look over at his dance partner for the night, who was staring right back at him with the same look of adoration Qrow had as well.

“Awww, you really feel that way about me, Qrow?”

“I’m starting to regret ever deciding to show emotions to people who aren't my nieces.”

“Ouch, i’m hurt.”

“Shut up, boy scout.”

“Alright, shutting up.”

* * *

Ironwood had really outdone himself with the decorations for the ball this year.

To be honest, Qrow wouldn’t be surprised if the staff were the ones to have hung up the decor well Ironwood just commanded them and told them what to do. Never was one to get his hands dirty, after all.

♢

As soon as Qrow walked into the large space, the bright blinding lights that flashed inside the hall compared to the dark unlit halls of the academy really knocked him off his feet for a second, before his sight kicked in again. Almost all the students of Atlas Academy were here, which was pretty surprising, it was quite a small hall for such a large amount of people. 

Orchestral music swept throughout the room, and to be honest, Qrow didn't know what he expected. Of course Ironwood would prefer his own music taste over the students suggestions.

"You'd think they'd allow the students to have music playing that would actually get them up and moving in a celebration like this." Qrow mumbled under his breath, hoping Clover wouldn't hear him, but of course, he did. A small chuckle from his right would confirm that.

"Yeah, well, team FNKI was really insistent on letting them play some party tunes, though, I don't think they were able to get through to them. Buuut hopefully we'll see if they were able to later on." Clover answered with an annoyed tone, it was nice to hear Clover wasn't exactly fond of the current music choice either.

"It seems Jimmy is still getting his military career and his lead over _teens and young adults_ mixed up, out of all the people in this room, i'm 90 percent sure they'd rather be dancing the night away rather than standing around doing basically nothing." Clover sighed, before turning to face Qrow with a slightly nervous look spread across his face. The man in question looking at the slightly taller huntsman in return. Only to hear another familiar voice from his right saying exactly what Qrow was thinking.

"Well, what can you expect from someone who seems to not care about what the people think, and only what he himself cares about?" When Qrow turned to look at where the voice was coming from, he saw Nora approaching with Ren and Jaune beside them. Her arms were folded and her eyes staring accusingly at Qrows partner for the night. A silence spread throughout the group, and it became increasingly obvious they were waiting for Clover to respond.

"I'm not saying I disagree with you here." Clover confirmed, his tone unwavering, and his stance firm.

"I sense a but." Jaune whispered to his left, Ren nodding slightly in agreement, well adjusting his cuffed sleeves. Though, Jaunes attempt at a whisper was loud enough for Clover to hear. Qrow knew it was on purpose, Jaune wasn't exactly the most stealthy of huntsmen.

"There isn't one." 

"That's a first." Nora's tone was mocking, before she let out a small laugh and approached Clover, a large cheerful smile spread across her freckled face.

"I'm only messing with you, Ebi! I know you and your team aren't mindless soldiers. You should be able to think for yourself without Ironwood telling you not to." Clover let out a sigh of relief, possibly taking her seriously. Qrow didn't take his eyes off of Clover. He was just happy to be going with Clover, nothing more. He totally wasn't staring at him because of how _breathtaking_ he looked under the many lights that shone around the hall. Not at all. 

♢

"So...Qrow, you ended up going with captain Ebi?" Ren pointed out, curiosity evident in his voice. Ren probably thought simply going with someone was just attending the event with them, nothing more. Which, yeah, it could be that way sometimes. But usually, it was seen as a...

Romantic gesture.

Oh.

Right.

Qrow had completely forgotten about that for a second. He could feel his face heat up, he searched his mind trying to find a way to respond to the huntsmen that stood in front of him, before he felt Clover take his hand and intertwine it with his own. Qrow immediately turned to look at his partner, only getting a small smirk in return, before Clover looked back to the small team, all having expectant faces.

"Yup." Clover answered, turning to Qrow, their faces so close that Qrow could already feel himself panicking about the small distance between them. "I look forward to being his date tonight." Clover sent a wink over to his crimson eyed partner, only for Qrow's brain to short circuit as Clovers grip on Qrows hand tightened a small bit.

"Date huh? Well...that's certainly something that surprises no one! C'mon Ren, lets go get some snacks before we go searching for Ruby and her team!" Nora shouted, grabbing Ren's arm harshly and pulling him over to the deserts table, Ren letting out a small yelp, which would leave Jaune with the two other huntsmen. Jaune just let out a nervous laugh, before going to follow them, instead. Qrow didn't take his eyes off of Clover, his face mixed with embarrassment and adoration. Clover chuckled under his breath before he glanced over at Qrow, turning to face him completely, their hands still holding onto one another tightly.

"I am certainly looking forward to Ruby and Yang asking me a million questions tonight." Qrow started in a sarcastic tone, looking into the large group of students trying to point out his niece, though he couldn't quite pinpoint her. "But, they already were annoying me about it this morning, so I guess I'm used to it."

"Annoying you about what?" Clover questioned, curious. Though, Qrow had a feeling Clover knew exactly what it was about.

"Well, they kept trying to ask me if I was going with anyone. I had been planning on asking you to go with me for a while, but, I obviously wasn't going to tell them that. They'd tease me about it for hours. Longer, even." At the odd silence after Qrow had finished speaking, he looked away from the hall and up at Clover, his teel eyes staring straight into his own.

“You wanted to ask me for _awhile_ ?” Clover asked, his voice genuine, as if he was actually surprised about it. Had Clover never actually been asked to accompany anyone before? Qrow’s heart ached at that thought. _Surely not._ Qrow thought, _he’s Atlas’s golden boy. Surely someone would ask him._

“Uh...yeah, i’ve been wanting to ask you to go with me since I first heard about it.” Qrow replied after being lost in thought for what seemed like a while, smiling up at the man in front of him. He could hear Clover's breath hitch. Clover tried hard to hide it, but his smile only grew wider at that response. Possibly proving Qrow’s previous thoughts right, which only made Qrow happier he had asked Clover to come with him in the first place.

“Well...time to put your teaching to use.” Clover separated the two, which made Qrow’s already red face an even deeper red. How long had they been so close together? That thought quickly disappeared, as Qrow glanced down and saw Clovers hand reaching out to his own. Qrow focused back on Clover's face, which wore a large grin.

“Care to dance with me, Branwen?”

Qrow chuckled at the formal use of his name.

“Sure. But don’t blame me if your foot gets stepped on.”

♢

Qrow hadn’t thought about the fact that dancing with Clover would mean that they would be pushed together for the entire night. And now that he had realised that, his stress levels were through the _roof._

Well Clover was recounting the details about a mission from the week before, Qrow simply stared in awe. Despite his semblance, Qrow had really lucked out, letting himself get to know Clover more. He was amazing, and even though their first impressions hadn’t been great, in fact, Clover had _annoyed_ Qrow a lot at first; but, those feelings eventually drifted the more Qrow realised that they apparently had a lot of things and interests in common despite their opposing semblances. Like he said before; Qrow had really fallen hard for the man. But, it was hard to keep those feelings buried sometimes.

Especially when they were... _this_ close to one another.

Qrow was trying extremely hard to not get distracted and he was also already trying very hard to avoid stepping on Clover. To be honest, Qrow might've been able to keep his composure well they were practicing in Clover's room, he certainly wasn't able to keep it now, when they were surrounded by so many people. Though he had to admit, it made it a little less...awkward, that was the only way he could put it.

"--So, yeah. Elm has kinda been avoiding the toaster ever since." Oh. Qrow had spaced out. And had missed basically all of what Clover had said. Qrow chuckled and nodded his head, hoping that was the right reaction Clover wanted. Which, it seemed to pass, though he had a feeling Clover knew he wasn't exactly paying attention. Then, as if on cue...

"Is my face really so much more interesting then my _amazing_ story, Qrow?" 

Qrow's eyes simply widened, as if he hadn't expected Clover to point it out. Clovers smirk grew the longer Qrow was silent, Qrow laughed nervously.

Oh, right, Qrow had to say something.

"Wh...what do you mean?" Qrow questioned, trying his hardest to sound genuine, because of course he wouldn't admit to staring at his dance partner. That'd just make it even more awkward than it already was.

"You were staring at me, I don't even think you were blinking."

"O..oh, uh, right. Sorry about that, I was just...lost in thought."

"You certainly are getting 'lost in thought' a lot tonight, are you, Qrow?" Clover chuckled, pulling Qrow closer to him, earning a gasp from his dance partner. As Qrow rested his head on Clovers shoulder, their conversation ended there.

Instead of continuing the conversation, they simply swayed in rhythm to the music, in perfect sync. Years ago, Ozpin had told Qrow that dancing was in a way very similar to fighting, and he still took his word on that. Though Ozpin had certainly done many questionable things recently, one of which being _abandoning them,_ he had said a lot of things that had stuck with Qrow throughout the years. And yeah, Qrow still held him to his word. Dancing was _very_ similar to fighting. And just like how Qrow and Clover would be in perfect sync with one another taking down grimm, they had been able to take that with them onto the dancefloor. It was as if...no. Qrow didn't believe in soulmates, or being 'made for someone'. But at the same time...everything felt too...perfect. Clover's semblance, his views on the world, his abilities on the field. They both matched each other in wit and in skill level, though, Clover was certainly better at flirting than he had been...wait-- hold on.

Wait.

No...no no no. Wait.

Clover had been flirting with him.

All this time, he had been...flirting with him.

Gods, he really was an idiot, wasn't he? All this time Qrow had been worrying on whether or not Clover actually enjoyed his company when...he shouldn't have even been bothered trying to figure that out at all. Then again...Clover could easily just act this way with everyone, and this was just. How Clover was. But Qrow had never seen Clover talk to anyone the way he and Clover interacted with one another. All the pieces were starting to fit together. All the winks, the lingering touches, the moments where they'd spent just a little bit too much time with little to no distance between one another, all the quips thrown back and forth...had doing all this huntsmen work really made Qrow forget how to identify someone being genuinely interested in him that way? I mean, sure, there was that cute waitress back in Higanbana all those months ago, but that was much more obvious then whatever Clover was trying to do with him. **gods** Clover was frustrating. But...in the best way possible.

Soon enough, the slow orchestral music had begun to slow down. Aaand upbeat synth took its place. _Gods bless Neon and her team for talking some sense into Ironwood and his questionable music taste._

And then, as if the man had been basically summoned...

"Having fun are we?" 

Both Clover and Qrow looked to their right and saw General Ironwood, standing next to both Winter Schnee and Penny Polendina, who seemed to be tapping her left foot along to the beats that echoed throughout the hall. Qrow's face immediately grew a bright red as he backed out of Clover's hold and looked away from the trio that had approached them. Even so, Clover reached out to hold Qrow's hand in his own. Catching the shapeshifters attention, as he looked back up at his teal eyed partner, then in front of him.

"Yup. The decorations seemed to have made the students happy." Clover answered, saluting at the man in front of him. He did realise that they were in a party setting, right? He didn't need to act like a bootlicker _all_ the time.

"Of course it would, it's nice to finally have some colour in this place." Ironwood sighed and completely ignored what Qrow had said, which Qrow expected. As Qrow's gaze shifted towards Winter and Penny, he noticed Winter looking down at his and Clover's intertwined hands. The blush from earlier that was covering his face returned.

  
  


"So...you two came together, huh?" Winter asked, the corner of her mouth perked up into a slight smile, as she placed her hands on her hips. Penny's smile only grew wider at the mention of it. 

"Oh! Ruby was saying she wanted you two to come to the dance together, I should go tell her! I'll be right back, Ms. Schnee!" Penny shouted, and enthusiastically, Penny darted over to a small group of people that Qrow immediately recognised through a large white ponytail and cat ears, excited to share this new found information.

"I've told her so many times to just call me Winter..." Winter chuckled, as she brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "It's nice to be able to have someone so full of life to...'work' with. As much as Weiss has grown, she'll always have that...class to her fighting style that Penny won't ever have. And that's a good thing." For once, Qrow and Winter agreed on something. Penny wasn't just some _robot,_ she was a person. She had an aura of her own. She had a _soul._ But of course, Atlesians wouldn't acknowledge that, they simply treated Penny as if she was a weapon, nothing more. And it wasn't surprising in the slightest.

"I'm gonna go and check in with some of the staff. Have fun, you two." Winter sent a salute towards Clover, before turning and walking into the crowd, Qrow immediately lost sight of her.

"So boyscout, what are we supposed to do now?"

"I'm guessing you'd rather not go back onto the dance floor?"

"I don't think there's even any space _left_ on the dance floor."

"Good point, I guess. Want to go grab a drink?"

♢

As Qrow sat at one of the many chairs surrounding the edges of the hall, sipping a small cup of water, he watched Ruby dance across the hall with Penny and Weiss, each one of them laughing. Qrow was happy they were enjoying themselves, during all the chaos that was happening in the world. Blake and Yang were also dancing together, Yang dipping Blake and pulling her into a spin right after, he could hear Blake's happy giggles all the way from across the room. Qrow smiled, before sipping his drink once again, and turning to his left, to glance over at Clover, who was drinking some sort of soda they were serving at the deserts table.

"Y'know, it's nice to see them being able to just relax like this." Qrow nodded. He didn't know how they were able to do it. Qrow was still thinking about everything. About Mantle, the maiden, the relics... _Salem._ This night would definitely be one to remember, but he'd prefer it if his nieces could live to tell about it. And that thought hasn't left his head ever since he first told them about Salem long ago. 

"Yeah, it's amazing seeing how full of hope they are. After I learnt about Salem I surely didn't take it as well as they did." Qrow mumbled the latter half of that, but due to a worried glance from Clover, he could tell he heard him. Shit.

"What do you mean?" 

Qrow sighed, placing his half full cup of water on the empty chair that stood next to him.

"That was when I started ... drinking, all those years ago. It was as if it would get rid of any stress I had...for, well, a couple of hours. Certainly wasn't healthy, but it was something that I couldn't stop for..." Qrow swallowed hard. "For awhile."

Qrow's voice wavered, his hands shaking a little bit. He looked down at them and groaned, closing his eyes to stop any tears. Certainly didn't want to _cry_ simply because he was talking about something he had already given up. But then, he felt a warmth surround him. Qrow opened his eyes slowly, only to find Clover, hugging him tight. Qrow's breath hitched, before he returned the embrace. Clover quickly backed away after he realised how sudden it had been.

"I-- sorry, I just...i've had my own problems with addiction before. Not with the same thing you had to deal with but...I know how hard it is to...kick it." Clover chuckled, though, it was an empty one. "I don't exactly want to get into it but, I'm happy you were able to get out of it. I ... wasn't there for when you did it, but, i'm proud of you." 

Yeah. Okay. That was enough to make those tears Qrow tried so hard to fight off break through. Though, they weren't sad ones, like he had anticipated. Immediately, Qrow pulled Clover into a hug once again, holding onto him tightly, not wanting to let go. Ever.

Until well, something tore them apart.

"I knew you'd come with Clover! Penny was right!" Qrow pulled out of the hug and looked to his right to see who's voice it was that had called out to him, and saw Ruby, jumping up and down slightly, right next to her older sibling, and the two girls she had been dancing with earlier. Weiss was staring straight ahead at Clover, well Penny was looking at Ruby's cheerful grin with a bright smile. Yang simply smirked as she crossed her arms and chuckled to herself.

"I wasn't surprised, considering, y'know, Qrow really likes -" Before Yang could finish her sentence, Ruby had noticed what she was about to say and rushed to block her mouth and continued Yang's sentence for her.

"Dancing! Uncle Qrow loves dancing! Can't get enough of it! Gee, Yang, I am _really_ thirsty, do you want to go get a drink with me and the others?" Ruby practically yelled, her voice cracking a little. Qrow simply gave his younger niece a look to tell her he was thankful, Ruby got the message and gave him a small thumbs up when Clover wasn't looking. Yang glanced down at her sister, then back at her uncle, and giggled. She uncrossed her arms and walked right up to Qrow, bending down to speak into his ear. 

"Tell him tonight, before I tell him myself." Yang whispered, her tone teasing, then she stood back up straight. Qrow gave her a slight glare, looking away when Clover glanced over at him curiously. Yang shot a wink in Qrow's direction, before she followed Ruby, Penny and Weiss to the table where a bunch of drinks were stacked on top of eachother. 

_'Tell him tonight?'_ Tell him what?

Oh.

Yang really knew how to ruffle Qrow's feathers, huh? Pun very much intended, Clover was starting to rub off on him, in the best way possible. But, Yang was right, if Qrow didn't make a move tonight, he would never make one. And he would never know if he never tried. So, she had a valid point. 

It was just a matter of how to do it, and what to do specifically.

* * *

Soon, the music once again shifted from a bit more of a faster pace to a more slower and orchestrated melody. Clover had practically dragged Qrow onto the dance floor once again, very much against Qrow's constant protest. But, he had definitely not regretted letting Clover get him on the dancefloor in the first place. It was oddly calming, having the relaxing symphony in the background as he just swayed to the music, Clover's warm reassuring smile really helped get rid of all the flips his stomach was doing.

"So...what's it like in Vale?" Clover questioned, his tone completely serious. Qrow was shocked, face covered in disbelief. Surely Clover had been...out of Atlas, right? No fucking way.

"Cloves have...have you ever left Solitas?" Qrow laughed a bit towards the end of his sentence, as he stared right into Clovers eyes, which was dangerous, as he could easily distract himself by simply looking at how deep and _gorgeous_ they were. Ok, staying on track, Qrow. Don't let yourself get distracted by _eyes_.

"Uhh..." Clover sighed, closing his eyes. "No, I haven't. The job is pretty confining." Clover's tone had a bit of annoyance in it, and he hadn't exactly picked it up until he had finished what he was saying. His eyes went slightly wider. 

"Not that I...not that I don't like my job! Sure it has plenty of...y'know, issues, but It's offered me countless opportunities..." Clover opened his eyes and looked right back at Qrow. "...like meeting you. Certainly glad I didn't miss that opportunity." Clovers eyes brightened after seeing Qrow's flustered smile. It really was a rare sight, to be honest. Qrow moved slightly closer to his dance partner, to the point where both their noses were almost touching. His smile turned more into a smirk. Qrow's plan was already being set into motion.

"Wow."

"What?"

"You are one of the most cheesy people I know."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

Qrow chucked, before he leaned into Clover's space, letting his lips meet Clover's own. Instead of the uneasy feeling in his stomach returning completely, it disappeared, as Clover eased more into the kiss, moving his arms upwards to rest them around Qrow's neck. Qrow's mind was racing, and he could only imagine that Clover's mind was doing the exact same. After a small amount of time, they both parted from one another, Qrow taking a little bit to catch his breath, before he looked back up at Clover, who's cheeks were dusted with red.

"It's a good thing, a very good thing."


End file.
